Choices and Consequences
by Somethingalltogether
Summary: CS Hiatus Challenge AU Season 4 Canon Divergence Description: Emma doesn't get swept up into the black goo tornado, but it does leave a freshly made Dark One in Storybrooke and someone lurking in the woods.


CS Hiatus Challenge

73 ("Are you taking his side against mine?" and 11 (Brothers)

AU Season 4 Canon Divergence

Warning: I hope you like angsty pain.

Description: Emma doesn't get swept up into the black goo tornado, but it does leave a freshly made Dark One in Storybrooke and someone lurking in the woods.

* * *

"Are you taking his side against mine?" Emma glared at her mother who held the dagger out in front of her chest. "All of you?"

David and Killian ducked their heads to avoid Emma's sweeping gaze as she took in the band of heroes who were pushing her out of their lives.

"I saw you! You cursed him," Henry yelled.

"No, kid. That wasn't me. I wasn't even…"

Henry cut her off. "Dark ones lie and dark ones trick.

Emma threw a pleading look to Killian, begging him one last time to take back what he said earlier on the Jolly. "Please Killian, don't let them do this. I love you."

"I'm sorry, Dark One," he spat out. "Until we discover a way to get my Swan back, you need to be neutralized."

"Our future. If you do this, we won't have one. I'll never be able to trust any of you again!" Emma cried out with soulful desperation.

"Enough talking, Emma." Emma's voice stuck her in throat at Mary Margaret's command. "Dark One, I command thee to get into the car and drive over the town line."

Emma's feet moved against her will as she casted a dark haunted look of betrayal at the group gathered around to watch their former Savior be thrown away like door opened and she slid into the worn seat; Emma's family just outside the vehicle were stoic as sobs overtook her. Key in the ignition, the yellow bug grumbled to life. Emma's body burned with the compulsion to drive over the line; her soul begged to fight it.

The compulsion won.

The heroes watched until the tail lights disappeared into the dark; each of them filled with conflicting thoughts.

* * *

Four years later….

"David, she is not going to be happy," Mary Margaret sighed as the car creeped to a halt outside a large Victorian house eerily similar to the house Emma had been thrown out from. "We waited too long."

"Mary Margaret, you know we had to. It took us ages to find a way to defeat Jafar and Hyde, not to mention find a way to unite Excalibur," David said trying to will himself to believe in their decision to wait.

"We didn't even keep in contact with her."

"We would have broken down and brought her back," he rationalized.

Henry broke into their conversation as he peered out into the dark night. "Guys, there is someone in the window."

David turned to the back seat and stared at his full grown grandson. "Alright, wake up Killian."

They didn't have a chance to ring the bell before the door swung open and Emma stood before them looking much like she did on the night of her first date with Killian with exception to her footwear. She almost innocent standing there barefoot and in a pale blue dress that hugged her curves and flowed loosely from the hips to her knees. Blonde hair spilled over her shoulder and clear green eyes blinked at the group as she took her family in for the first time in years.

"Can I help you?"

Killian held back a sob as the sound of his True Love's voice for the first time in years. Only centuries of discipline prevented him from rushing forward to burry his head into her golden locks.

Henry moved forward first to wrap his arms around Emma, but was stopped by her hand on his chest. "Mom?"

"I'm not your mom. Birth mother maybe, but not your mother. Again, can I help you?"

The adults looked shocked, but understood her position. Henry looked close to tears.

Killian spoke up breaking the silence that had descended upon them. "May we come in? It may take a while for us to explain."

Emma gave a sigh. She wasn't a cruel person, but the thought of throwing them away was bouncing around her mind. If she didn't need the closure, she might have.

"Fine. Come in." She turned away and walked further into the house expecting them to follow.

One by one, the heroes walked behind Emma into a living room where she sat and waited for each one to enter.

They stood in silence taking in their surroundings. Emma carefully watched their reactions and ended up breaking up their perusal of her home. "So, did you drive here to see my home or did you have something to say?"

"We are sorry," David broke first. "We didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know," Emma belittled him. "But I did."

"Jafar was convincing as he masqueraded around as you," Killian said. "There was no way for us to know that."

Emma scoffed and soothed the hem of her skirt. "If you had trusted me, none of this would have happened."

Mary Margaret stepped forward. "Emma, we lost years with you. Please, don't let us lose more."

The former Savior shrugged trying to appear unaffected by the loss of her family. Killian watched the movement without comprehending how much she was holding back. "I didn't lose any years. I rebuilt my life here."

"This isn't your home. Your home is with me, with grandma and grandpa, with Killian." Henry trailed off as he glanced around.

A sly smile graced Emma's face. "Home is where the heart is and I have found my heart."

David cut into the topic changing it away from whatever Emma had planned. "We found a way to take away the darkness."

Emma favored them with a true smile. "You mean True Love's Kiss? Sorry to disappoint you, but that already happened."

Killian looked stunned. In all of his imaginings of his reunion with Emma never did he dream she would find a new beau. "I'm sorry?"

Emma just smiled softly and stood. "Wait here."

The blue fabric of her dress swirled around pale bare legs as Emma made her way past the gaping group. The room felt cold and dark without her presence. Moments later, Emma returned carrying a sleeping toddler. "His name is Colin."

Henry perked up. "I have a brother?"

Emma sighed knowing where this was going. She was not going to let her youngest be used as a pawn to drive her back into the arms of her 'loving' family. "Well, yes, by blood but since we won't be involved in anything to do with Storybrooke, you better get those thoughts of having a little brother out of your head. You made your decisions, now you have to live with them."

"But we didn't know!" Mary Margaret cried out.

"Just because you don't know the whole story doesn't mean you are exempt from your decisions. This is the result," Emma chastised her mother.

"And….and the father?" Killian stuttered.

Giving a hollow laugh, Emma smiled sadly at him. "Another one bites the dust. We were good friends, but he had a terminal illness and wanted to experience family life before he left this world. It's been a little over six months since he died."

"Oh Emma. You could come home and we could…." David broke off with his voice sticking in his throat. It reminded her how her voice had left her at her mother's command.

Gathering her strength, Emma prepared for the end of the conversation. "Could do nothing of the sort. I loved you, all of you, and you broke my heart. I'm done with you."

Killian blinked back tears at her words echoing an earlier time with a damp cave and a heartless queen.

Henry moved forward, but was stopped by a raised eyebrow and a challenge in her eyes. Colin slept on in her arms. "But we are family!"

"Kid, it is about time you learned that being blood doesn't always mean you are family. You betrayed me and I refuse to raise Colin in that kind of environment. You are old enough to understand that it isn't about you or me. It is about choosing what is best for your child and being around you guys and the hell that is Storybrooke isn't good enough."

"I'm your child too," Henry whimpered.

Emma's heart cracked a little more. She had promised herself she would treat them fairly, but justly. Six months after they forced her from Storybrooke, Emma made the decision to choose herself because no one else was going to. "And you are old enough to understand that you aren't. Not anymore. Well, it has been fun, but I think I ought to put Colin down for the rest of the night."

"Swan, wait please!" Killian caught her arm gently trying to stop her from disappearing from his life again. His voice and body language reeked of desperation.

Emma sneered at him and she trudged along with a sleeping Colin in her arms to the front door. "Don't go begging Captain. It doesn't suit you."

"Don't do this," Killian pleaded in his heartbreak. All he wanted was a chance to make it right.

"That is exactly what I asked of you," Emma threw back at him and opened the door while shifting Colin to rest his head on her shoulder. "Now reap your reward."

The door shut on his desolate face closing off their future forever.

Killian turned to the dazed group. "We made a horrible choice."


End file.
